Market

Thursday, May 6, 2010

THE CHINESE "ROULETTE"-ON DISPLAY IN AFRICA!

In a world divided between capitalism and communism till early nineteen nineties, cooperation and trade relations were guided by each country's political system. While the Western countries were supposed to be sympathetic to the needs and sufferings of populations with democratic practices, erstwhile Soviet Union invariably looked after the interests of fellow communist countries. To day such a divide is not that conspicuous because of many compulsions of geopolitical changes. Modern China, though a communist country on paper, has adopted every thing that is characteristic of a capitalistic country, giving its political philosophy a back seat in its foreign policy dealings. Its aggressive designs in the African continent or South America or the Asian continent are aimed at deriving maximum advantages for itself economically or strategically, irrespective of the credentials of the recipient governments. Here is an example of the "circus" China is performing in a country like Niger which is purely opportunistic in nature.

"Just a few months ago, China was widely derided here as the financial backbone propping up an autocratic president, Mamadou Tandja, giving him the confidence to ignore international condemnation as he chopped away at Niger's democratic institutions. But now that Mr. Tandja has been overthrown, China appears to be settling into a new role: business partner to the good-government-preaching military officers who ousted Mr. Tandja under the banner of restoring democracy".

Depending on who is talking, this can be called a fine diplomacy or crass opportunism. Either way both the countries are benefited in such a compromising situation though the civil liberties may never be restored in that country in the near future. It is another matter that China never bothered to give civil liberty to its own population and therefore cannot be expected to be too much concerned about human rights and personal freedom in pursuit of economic gains!